


The Away Trips

by HurtByTenderLies



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Cheating, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-15 23:01:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29691264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HurtByTenderLies/pseuds/HurtByTenderLies
Summary: Katara and Aang's trips away from home. An Avatar rebuilding his nation and a Waterbender trying to achieve Unified Peace. Their time together, and their time apart.When Katara sees Zuko her heart beats faster. Toph can tell.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Aang/Toph Beifong, Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)
Kudos: 11





	The Away Trips

**The Away Trips**

After the war, Aang had left to the Southern Air Temple to rebuild his fallen nation. He and Katara had wed only a month before he left. She touched the necklace on her neck. It didn’t feel the same as her mother’s. She wondered if she could replace the one _he_ made her with her old one, but decided to keep to her customs.

In the Northern Water Tribe, it was immensely frowned upon to remove a betrothal necklace. In the Southern Water Tribe, they were more accepting, but still sometimes socially shunned. The band was made from weaved and braided gillygrass.

Gillygrass was native to the air temples, clinging to the rocks lining the mountains, or sprouting nearly anywhere there. It was a beautiful grass. The higher up you went changed the color of the grass.

Low in the mountain, you would find blue grass. Short and flimsy, but vibrant and enticing. The color was like looking into the freezing water.

As one went up, the color would turn to green. It was very thick gillygrass, thriving in large patches up the mountain. It reminded her of the green valleys she saw, but there hadn’t been any gillygrass there. This was much brighter.

Next, there was a harsh, noticeable transition to orange grass. The grass was fine, long, and blew loosely in the wind. Katara supposed it might be because the altitude’s absence of air.

Up near the top grew red grass with white gillygrass flowers. The contrast of deep red to white always caught her eye during her time at the temples. The red was like crimson blood yet did not bleed onto the crisp white. Almost as white as the snow…

Katara sighed and rubbed at the grass around her neck. It had been made by Aang before their wedding. The grass had varying colors of orange grass, with only a few blue strands braided in, as if it had been done last minute.

Aang had aged, but still had some childish qualities. He left after she refused to try for a baby, upset he would need to wait for an airbending child. He said he went to prepare the different temples for his future airbending children, but despite the excuse, Katara knew he left because of their argument.

After a few more months of Aang being gone, Katara received a message from Fire Lord Zuko. There was an intricate stamp holding the letter shut. She thumbed over the Fire Nation emblem, nervous to look inside. The paper was exquisite, so finely crafted that she had never seen anything like it before. It seemed like a very official letter. Katara sighed and peeled the seal open. The letter inside was an invitation. She expected a letter announcing marriage, but instead found it was much better.

“Dear Katara,

In order to unite the nations, I have decided to invite three members from every nation to become ambassadors in a Unified Peace Plan. Ambassadors will spend approximately six months of the year in the Fire Nation. During their time here, they will contribute to the Unified Peace Plan. All of the interested invitees will be housed in the Fire Nation within two weeks after confirming their involvement by letter. I await your reply and hope to receive your confirmation letters within two weeks of you obtaining this one.

Katara of the Southern Water Tribe,

You have been hand-picked by me to be included in the Unified Peace Plan. Please let me know your reply. I am peacefully waiting.

Sincerely,

Fire Lord Zuko”

Katara smiled faintly at the letter, nearly jumping with happiness. She had two weeks to decide her answer, but she already knew what she wanted to do. That same night, she wrote a letter to Zuko.

“Fire Lord Zuko,

I am happy to announce that I will accept your invitation to the Fire Nation. I will be ready to go when you receive this letter.

Peacefully,

Katara of the Southern Water Tribe”

She was to the point with that one. Katara laughed to herself and went to find the messenger that brought her the letter. When she saw him collecting other letters by a warm burning fire, she smiled kindly at him.

“Thank you, Matsu!” He waved at her with his hands full and gently took the letter from her, “Any time, Katara!”

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this when I went 2 days without sleep. I will try to continue this when I can- I have so many great ideas for this story.


End file.
